Monday, December 31, 2012

I dug through my old cedar chest yesterday and found all of my journals. This is a picture of most of them. I did not include all of my calendar books and idea books. Good gracious! I did not know I had so many! So many of them have tons of pages that need some love.

I decided to work in the one in the front with the hand on it. It is an old art book I picked up at a garage sale once. I gesso the pages and layer, layer, journal, layer! Here are two pages that I completed yesterday. Or, I should say, here are the reasons I did not get all my household chores done! LOL

I have another couple of pages ready to work on tonight to bring in the New Year. I hope you all have a safe and happy new year. 2013-Bring it!

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Step One:OK-Here is everything I have. I do have some ink that I ordered "Gamblin Etching Ink" BLUE!It does not seem rusty much. Just a little where the nuts/bolts are (the impression screws) but I can turn them. The I have not tried to move the roller hooks. So do I clean it? I found some instructions somewhere last year on line by Jack Gifford "secrets of a Kelseyman" and it instructs how to clean with a bit of a process but doable. 1 gallon vinegar, 1 qt lemon juice, one guart of oil (what kind of oil), 1 can of laquer thinner, and a pump type oil can, large square container, heavy plastic garbage bags. See how I got bogged down. LOLI don't have "furniture" for it.Oh and I purchased some letter stamps. I will take a pic of that.No special paper. I purchased some last year when I was getting started and ended up using it for other art. LOL

I figured out how to take off the chase using the lever on the back and not these screws pic below-that would not budge by the way.

Are these the screws that tighten the furniture in the chase? They will not budge. Guess they need oil?

Are the above the gripper bars you were talking about. I played around with it until I found them. They lifted easily.

Here are the first pages of the book that came with it. The rest is just stuff about how to run your own printing press business-etc....

Saturday, December 29, 2012

I was going through old blog posts and found the one about the Desiderata Poem and I was once again inspired by this poem. I decided to use that as my inspiration for my current creative journal. Here is the poem again: It has such a good message about life in general. I will add the other pages as I complete them.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially, do not feign affection.

Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,

and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.

The above: Compliments of my good friend Donna Baker

Gosh, I just can't let go of the Funky Art Queen! I'm really missing that part of my life lately. Lately, I have been dabbling with my creative journals. Seems like I kind of lost my mojo-they just don't seem as vibrant or fun. So I picked up a few books lately about creative journaling and I'm kinda feeling it again. As I am typing this post, I have several pages started with the first couple of layers of paint/color. Actually, I have quite the mess on the kitchen table and my husband will be not so pleasantly surprised when he wakes up and comes into the kitchen. I actually finished every page in one journal that I have been working on for two years. It is the first journal I ever finished! I have so many that I got half way through and got bored with and abandoned the poor things. Maybe some day I will begin to attack those. I just get so caught up in the fact that they have to be in order of date or something! LOL (NO RULES!)Funky Art Queen is back for now. I still make jewelry for my Etsy shop but I'm on the fence about that. I like doing it but I don't love it like I love getting all messed up with paint! LOL

I found this little quote (above) the other day and it got me to thinking. I do a lot of thinking on my 40 minute drive to and from work. Anyway, what is the answer to this question for you? What did you do as a child...... Here is my list-and I enjoyed remembering. You try it!

Crafts! My mother was very crafty! We made crafts for every holiday. We colored, painted, cut things out, sewed, all kinds of things. For me creating means happy times.

Singing: Mom also sang to us and with us. We loved to sing silly songs. Then, as I grew up to country music and some old classic rock-then some pop when I was a teen, I sang to every song. I was that girl in the car that sang to every song and probably drove everyone crazy. Music made me happy and made the hours pass like minutes.

Write poems-especially when I was a teen. I wrote all kinds of poems.

Read books-I have always had a love for books. I don't read much any more. I want to, just don't seem to make time for it.

Taking pictures-I used to have polaroids and all kinds of cameras. I used to make my poor little sisters pose all over the place for pictures. I would put them in their Easter dresses in the dead of winter, take them outside and take their pictures. LOL

Family Gatherings.

That was just a quick brainstorm of my answers. Would love to hear yours! Happy New Year to all my pals. Meanwhile, my pages are dry......gotta get to my journals!

Saturday, September 15, 2012

I so started out this morning looking at fabric bracelets. It all started with a conversation with a dear friend yesterday about a fabric bracelet with pearls, fabric, and all kinds of stuff. Well, I got up and cleaned house in a hurry so we could go to Midland, TX to HobbyLobby and get some supplies. I bought some fabric, some beads, some wire, etc. I was so going to make a fabric bracelet. Well, that never goes like I plan! LOL

I started with strips of fabric that I sewed together-kind of an off white print. Two pieces. Then I braided in some copper chain that I picked up at HobbyLobby today.

I spent half the afternoon trying to figure out how to finish the ends!

LOL!

Finally, I decided to sew a loop (copper) and a bar (copper) to each end for finishing and closures.

Then I decided to add all these beads.

Now you can't even tell it started out as fabric! Oh well, a happy misadventure! It turned out alright. I would so wear that! LOL

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Three Ingredient Berry Cobbler/Cake

Found this recipe on Pinterest today and just had to try it! It is basically what we used to call a "dump cake" but it sounds better to say "Berry Cobbler" to me. I was surprised at the simplicity of the recipe and the fact that there are only 3 ingredients!

Ingredients

1 Yellow Cake Mix (no pudding)

2 Packages of frozen berries

1 bottle 7-Up or Sprite

Instructions1. Spray pan with Pam or baking spray2. Put in the frozen berries

3. Pour the yellow cake mix over the berries evenly

4. Pour the 7-Up over the entire cake evenly (it bubbles up-FUN!

5. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until it is done. Your call! LOL

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

I just felt the need to revisit this poem today. I first heard it years ago when I worked in Activity Therapy at the State Hospital. One of the teachers that trained me to teach classes was wheelchair bound and one of the most positive people I have ever met. His name was Jim Potter....I wonder where he is now? I was always amazed at how positive he was all the time in spite of his disability. He could have been so negative and sorry for himself....instead he was an inspiration to every one around him, including the patients and employees at Big Spring State Hospital.

This poem was a part of his curriculum for the Stress Management Class for the patients. He read it with the greatest emotion and feeling and then the group would discuss the meaning of the poem. It touched me so and I have revisited it so many times. I used it in my son's graduation from high-school scrapbook. I have hung it in many places to remind me to be a better person.

I hope if you have never read it, you will pay attention to the words and it will also inspire you. It's like a ripple effect from Jim Potter-and even from the author of the poem (Max Ehrmann 1927).

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Some how, I always come back to my little Funky Art Blog. I know, I keep leaving and coming back. I know I am fickle like a pickle-you don't have to tell me. Life is cool like that though....we are ever changing, learning and growing. We do have constants though...things, people, places, feelings and drives that are constant and ever there for us. Funky Art Queen has long been my saving grace-she is who I lean on when times are tough. I can remember when I first created her....was it 2006? There was so much going on in life, so much to cope with.....she saved me and helped me through that period in life. She was where I went to escape. All the friends I made through her and this blog, all the things I poured myself in to provided me with comfort and helped rekindle my passion for creating funky and colorful things. JOY!

Here I am again, kind of going through a little thing. Change in job, husbands upcoming retirement, son about to be deployed again, missing my new grandson who is all the way in Mississippi-and a few other things. A new chapter in life. I'm a bit excited and a bit scared. So, friends of my altered ego....the ever brave and passionate Funky Art Queen..... and me.....we are back! For now.....

So, I still make jewelry and have a shop on Etsy and have done fairly well there. I make enough to buy more supplies! LOL

I still have that letterpress or printing press and have not taken the time to learn how to use it. But it is still in my plans!

I saw the cutest little paintbrush puppets on Pinterest and had this great idea! Altered Paintbrushes! I would not rest until I made a bouquet of paintbrushes. I have worked on these all week. I think it would have been better to use wooden paintbrushes instead of ones with plastic handles as it took forever for the acrylic paint to dry! But, I wanted to recycle some that I already had here and I was impatient to get started! So here they are. I hope you will be inspired! I think it is cool to use the very thing that we use to make art in a way to make that thing the ART it's self!

Friday, March 30, 2012

Craig and I picked up some little outfits for the grandson (Caden) today to send him for Easter. Not Easter clothes just some Easter presents. We also got him a cute little stuffed bunny. I wanted to make him an Easter card so I got out the cards, glue stamp, bunny stamp and glitter. This is what I came up with. We are going to send Cody and Patsy a treat too! Since we can't be together these are the things we do until we are together again!